In your opinion what is the biggest anxiety within the world of learning and development at the moment?
The greatest anxiety for L&D is the same for the world at large: what’s next? In many ways, we have been moving to online learning for years, but this sudden change put us into warp speed. We are a flexible group, but the challenges are many: measuring learner engagement and absorption, reaching learners who could be in any location, using any device; ensuring learners are following the session, and constantly finding new ways to make remote content interesting. You can’t flip face-to-face learning to virtual learning, so those who may not have previously embraced virtual learning have a steeper learning curve, as do those who don’t traditionally learn well virtually. Our profile has been raised and our value is better recognized. Now, making sure there are enough training resources for the increased demand is a new challenge.
Who or what is informing your thinking around L&D?
Our initiatives are most informed by staying in close contact with our business colleagues to gain a better understanding of how they work and the daily challenges they are experiencing, including forming partnerships with those responsible for other types of training (compliance, HR, Professional Development). L&D objectives always prioritize alignment with current rollout projects. Daily training needs are still driven by individual requests or support call patterns. Keeping up with industry L&D trends is a high priority achieved through social media, articles from professional associations, brain science articles, and networking with trainers in other law firms, across the industry and functional roles.
What is the most exciting innovation on the horizon for learning?
The days of cookie-cutter training are long gone. There is a renaissance coming for contextual tips, like Microsoft Office’s “Tell me what you want to do?” More vendors are building pop-up tips and contextual training into their apps, along with adaptive learning tools that adjust for performance. The competition among remote solution providers has motivated rapid expansion of sophisticated tools facilitating attendee interaction to help with remote engagement. Virtual learning is here to stay and incorporating virtual reality into training. The path forward seems to tend toward tools that help learners take ownership of their own learning.
What “game changers” would you like to see and why?
Training in general becoming more sophisticated, self-paced and on demand, which will require trainers to update their skill set to develop such content, or to act as curators of industry based content. In terms of the legal industry, specifically, legal associations such as the Bar Association, SRA, ABA, etc. adopt industry standard technology certifications as part of the competency framework for lawyers. It would be nice to see this trend continue to where there are competitive advantages in recruiting and retention based on the quality of the IT/L&D teams.
What do you think the world of L&D will look like by 2030?
Virtual reality training – where people can experience the situation. This is available now but at a cost. I imagine this will become a standard offering. Captivate have the concepts of this now. I also imagine AI will play more of a part in this and we will be able to tailor training to the individual and server up courses based on what they are interested in or people in their peer group are taking. There is elements of some of this now but most training departments don’t have this kind of data. LMS providers are starting to talk about this. There will be an expectation from the next generation coming into the workforce to be able to interact with training in the workplace like they interact with tech in our personal life. Think about all the information we have at our fingertips through You Tube, TikTok, all the internet TV, Amazon Prime, Netflix. I can access when I need it, I can choose something else if I don’t like it and I don’t have to do it at a set date and time. From multiple devices as well. Training will be a fusion of L&D and KM; part of the learning is understanding what you want to do and what tools are available to you. Machine learning can help identify common skill gaps and adjust the training to fit the evolving need, providing more data to the L&D department.
What advice would you give your 21 year old self?
Don’t underestimate yourself!
About the author – Bonnie Beuth:
Bonnie is a founding member of LTC4 (Legal Technology Core Competencies Certification Coalition) and is a versatile manager, instructional designer and workflow trainer who can assess an organization’s needs, prepare a comprehensive workflow training plan, and deliver training via eLearning, webinars, interactive content or classroom. Contributes extensive technical expertise combined with over 20 years of business knowledge.
Based in Atlanta, Georgia.
To find out more about LTC4 and to join the group of digital learning professionals from law firms, legal departments, law schools and legal non-profits simply click here.
Connect with Bonnie via LinkedIn
Leave A Comment